Configure agent details and instructions

In the new Copilot Studio experience, agent details and instructions define the agent and its behavior. The following elements are configured from the Build tab and shape the agent's tone, scope, and response style.

Note

Features in this article are powered by the GitHub Copilot harness, which uses Copilot Credits for usage-based billing. Learn more about Copilot Credits in Overview of billing for agents powered by the GitHub Copilot harness.

Usage-based billing applies to using, building, testing, and evaluating agents. These actions might consume Copilot Credits.

  • Agent name: An editable name field where you set the agent's display name.
  • Agent icon: An icon for your agent. You can replace the default icon and its color with something more representative.
  • Instructions: Natural language guidance that shapes the agent's behavior, tone, and scope. Instructions tell the agent what to do, how to respond, and what to avoid.

Unlike agents using the standard harness, where explicit topic flows and triggers shape behavior, agents powered by the GitHub Copilot harness use instructions as the primary mechanism for controlling agent behavior. The enhanced orchestration runtime interprets these instructions when responding to users. Learn more in Standard harness vs. GitHub Copilot harness.

Configure your agent's details and instructions from the Build tab

  1. Open your agent in Copilot Studio.

  2. Select the Build tab.

  3. To update the agent name, select the name field and enter a new name.

  4. To replace or customize the agent icon:

    1. Select the icon.
    2. In Change agent icon, select a new icon from the catalog. Alternatively, upload the icon you want. The icon must be in PNG format, and its size 100 KB or less.
    3. Select a different color or add an accent color if you want.

  5. In the Instructions section, enter natural language instructions that guide the agent's behavior. Be specific about the agent's purpose, tone, and boundaries.

    The instructions editor supports rich-text formatting including bold, italic, lists, block quotes, inline code, and links.

  6. Select the Save icon.

Write effective instructions

Instructions are the most important tool for shaping agent behavior in agents powered by the GitHub Copilot harness. Well-written instructions help the agent stay on topic, respond in the right tone, and handle edge cases appropriately.

Consider including:

  • The agent's primary role and purpose.
  • The tone and style the agent should use (formal, friendly, concise).
  • Topics or tasks the agent should decline or redirect.
  • How the agent should handle unclear or ambiguous user input.
  • Any escalation or handoff triggers.

Tip

Start with a clear, simple description of the agent's purpose and expand from there. You can update instructions iteratively as you test the agent's behavior in the Preview tab.

For general guidance on writing agent instructions, see Write agent instructions. (Some guidance in that article is specific to the standard harness's topic-based model.)

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